Explore the Family Name Nunes
The meaning of Nunes
1. Portuguese and Galician: patronymic from the personal name Nuno. 2. Jewish (Sephardic): Portuguese surname (see 1 above), adopted at the moment of conversion to Roman Catholicism. After the return to Judaism (generations later), some descendants retained the name their families used as Catholics. 3. English: variant of Newnes, a habitational name from Newnes in Ellesmere, Shropshire. The etymology of the placename is uncertain; it may derive from Old English nīwe ‘new’ + næss ‘promontory, headland’, but the sense of ‘new headland’ is not clear and such a name does not suit the place’s topography. Some characteristic forenames: Spanish Manuel, Jose, Carlos, Francisco, Luis, Mario, Alberto, Domingos, Ricardo, Americo, Ana, Armando. Portuguese Joao, Joaquim, Paulo, Guilherme, Aderito, Fernandes, Ilidio, Vasco, Zulmira.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Nunes in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Nunes has slightly increased in the United States between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Nunes was ranked as the 2993rd most popular surname, a ranking that improved to 2942 by 2010, an increase of roughly 1.7%. During this same period, the count of people bearing the Nunes surname also grew from 11,081 to 12,191, indicating a rise of about 10.02%. The proportion of Nunes per 100,000 people remained relatively stable with only a slight increase from 4.11 to 4.13.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #2,993 | #2,942 | 1.7% |
| Count | 11,081 | 12,191 | 10.02% |
| Proportion per 100k | 4.11 | 4.13 | 0.49% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Nunes
The Decennial U.S. Census data also provides insights into the ethnicity associated with the surname Nunes. Between 2000 and 2010, there were notable changes in the ethnic identity distribution of individuals with this surname. The largest increase was seen within the Black community, with a dramatic rise of 69.06%. Conversely, those identifying as two or more races saw a significant decline of 53.39%. Meanwhile, the Hispanic community experienced a modest increase of 5.57%. The white majority of Nunes bearers saw a negligible decrease of 0.70%, while Asian/Pacific Islanders witnessed a growth of 26.61%. Interestingly, those identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native decreased by 9.09%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 70.44% | 69.95% | -0.7% |
| Hispanic | 19.03% | 20.09% | 5.57% |
| Black | 3.2% | 5.41% | 69.06% |
| Two or More Races | 5.75% | 2.68% | -53.39% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 1.24% | 1.57% | 26.61% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.33% | 0.3% | -9.09% |
Nunes ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Nunes is Spanish & Portuguese, which comprises 49.1% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are British & Irish (19.2%) and French & German (10.7%). Additional ancestries include Italian, Indigenous American, Eastern European, Scandinavian, and Angolan & Congolese.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| Spanish & Portuguese | 49.1% |
| British & Irish | 19.2% |
| French & German | 10.7% |
| Other | 20.9% |
Possible origins of the surname Nunes
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Nunes have recent ancestry locations in Portugal and United Kingdom.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Azores, Portugal | 61.40% |
| Madeira, Portugal | 60.60% |
| Lisbon, Portugal | 58.60% |
| Aveiro District, Portugal | 58.30% |
| Porto District, Portugal | 53.00% |
What Nunes haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Nunes is R-P311, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-P311 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-CTS241 and R-Z225, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Medeiros, Martins, Ribeiro, Lopes, Vieira, Pereira, Tavares, Alves, Machado, Oliveira.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Nunes surname are: A2, H1, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your maternal lineage may be linked to the nomadic Tuareg of the Sahara
Though haplogroup H1 rarely reaches high frequencies beyond western Europe, over 60% of eastern Tuareg in Libya belong to haplogroup H1. The Tuareg call themselves the Imazghan, meaning “free people.” They are an isolated, semi-nomadic people who inhabit the West-Central Sahara and are known today for a distinctive dark blue turban worn by the men, and for their long history as gatekeepers of the desert.How did women carrying H1 make it all the way from western Europe to this isolated community? They likely migrated from Spain across the Strait of Gibraltar into Morocco after the Last Ice Age, where they were assimilated into the Berbers of the Mediterranean coast. Then, about 5,000 years ago, the Sahara shifted from a period of relative habitable conditions to its dramatically arid desert environment. This shift may have caused migrations throughout the Sahara, prompting the ancient Tuaregs to meet and mingle with the Berbers, bringing H1 lineages into their population.
What do people with the surname Nunes have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Nunes" Surname 44.9%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Nunes" Surname 35.4%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Nunes" Surname 17.2%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Nunes" Surname 16.3%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Nunes?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Nunes are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition